Winter storm devastates Texas as power outages continue
Severe weather is affecting more than 100 million Americans tonight and snow is still falling in the hardest-hit areas in Texas. While power has been restored to millions in Texas, nearly half of residents, 13 million, don’t have access to clean, running water.
In the city of Kyle, officials said water should “only be used to sustain life at this point.”
In Houston, America’s fourth-largest city, there are long lines for food, gas and supplies. Things are also bad in Oklahoma, where President Biden declared a state of emergency after the longest stretch of sub-zero temperatures there on record. At least 34 deaths were attributed to the storm, 20 of them were from Texas.
The winter weather also created a political storm. Texas Senator Ted Cruz was criticized for flying to Cancun with his family this week, while his constituents suffered in record-low temperatures.
San Antonio to open water distribution stations
The San Antonio Water System announced Thursday that it will begin providing water distribution at seven pump locations around the city. Residents will receive up to five gallons per person and are advised to boil the water they receive as a precautionary measure.
The City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Food Bank will also provide bottled water distribution at sites around the city.
San Antonio has experienced water outages due to the winter weather emergency, and the San Antonio Water System on Wednesday issued a boil water advisory for customers who still have access to water. ~April Siese
Power restoration to continue into Thursday night
ERCOT is continuing its power restoration efforts, according to CBS Houston affiliate KHOU. Restoration will continue into Thursday night, and ERCOT told KHOU that its progress has so far come without additional outages.
That could change later on Thursday or Friday morning depending on how stable the grid is as its load increases.
“The generating units that were online this morning have remained on throughout the day. With generation holding steady, we are hopeful that more generation will continue to become available,” ERCOT Senior Director of System Operations Dan Woodfin told KHOU. ~ April Siese
Winter storms disrupt COVID vaccine effort as variants fuel new fears
As Americans yearn for their pre-pandemic lives, the distribution of coronavirus vaccines is hitting delays as winter storms pummel the U.S. The disease has not only impacted how Americans live, but how long. Jonathan Vigliotti reports for “CBS Evening News.” See video here.
Winter storm continues to pummel South as freezing temps persist
CBS New York weathercaster Lonnie Quinn has an updated look at the frigid forecast. See video here.
34 deaths tied to the winter storm
As of Thursday, 34 deaths have been linked to the severe winter weather across seven states.
The most deaths were recorded in Texas, with 20 residents dying from storm-related incidents. Here’s where they occurred: Houston (7), Taylor County (6), Sugarland (4), Galveston County (2) and San Antonio (1).
Earlier this week, a grandmother and three children were killed in a house fire in Sugarland. City officials said the neighborhood had been without power. The cause of the fire is under investigation. ~Zoe Christen Jones
“This is a nightmare”: Over 13 million Texans face water crisis
For many Texans, it’s been unbearable. Thousands of homes have been ravaged by the storm. More than 13 million — almost half of the state’s population — have water issues.
In many homes, the tap is dry. Finding bottled water is nearly impossible. Some have resorted to boiling snow. Houston opened 11 sites Thursday to help give away water.
When the pipes burst in Texas Representative Shawn Thierry’s home, her world exploded. She and her 8-year-old daughter are in a hotel, but they won’t be able to live there long term.
“I mean this is a nightmare, this is everyone’s nightmare,” Thierry told CBS News. “Your home is your abode, it’s where you go to find your peace and work and now, I’m uprooted.”
Thierry is among millions in a new phase of misery. As lights come back on, the horrors of the storm are revealed.
Water is everywhere — or nowhere, as many treatment plants were knocked offline. A line to get into a plumbing supply store ran for blocks. Even food has become hard to come by as some grocery store shelves lay bare. ~Janet Shamlian
Relief groups rush to offer aid in Texas
Local organizations in Texas are using their resources to help residents in need. Warming stations across the state are still open and are urging residents to come if their situation becomes dangerous.
Organizations from outside the state are also sending teams to brave the storm. Mercy Chefs, a non-profit based in Portsmouth, Virginia, sent a team to Dallas to provide meals to those without water, gas, heat, or a way to leave their homes.
“This winter storm has affected so many people over such a widespread area in communities that simply aren’t prepared for this kind of weather – we’ve never seen anything like it,” Gary LeBlanc, founder of Mercy Chefs, told CBS News. “We are glad Mercy Chefs can respond quickly and get meals to those in need.” ~Zoe Christen Jones
Over 325,000 still without power in Texas
More than 325,000 Texas residents are still without power, Governor Greg Abbot said in a Thursday news conference.
Abbot promised to reform the state’s power utility, claiming that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas assured him Texas was “ready” for the extreme temperatures.
The state legislature will now investigate the company to find out what went wrong.
“Texans deserve answers about why the shortfalls occurred, and how they’re going to be corrected and Texans will get those answers,” Abbott said Thursday.
Some Texas gas stations are running out of fuel
Texas residents are encouraged to stay home or drive with caution. But those who do leave might have trouble finding gas. The winter storm has slowed down deliveries, leaving some gas stations across northern Texas completely out of fuel, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reported.
Hundreds of thousands of residents are still without power and have resorted to using their cars for auxiliary power, charging phones, medical devices, or simply trying to get some heat.
But traveling is still a risky endeavor.
“Certainly what’s important for drivers to know is this is really more of a temporary outage, not a shortage,” AAA Texas Daniel Armbruster told CBS Dallas/Fort Worth. “So it’s really important that drivers not panic, and certainly don’t rush to the gas station to purchase fuel.” ~Zoe Christen Jones
NBA and NHL postpones more games
The severe weather in Texas is forcing major sports leagues to postpone games.
The NBA has postponed Friday’s matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets after the city of Houston suspended operations at the Toyota Center. The league said the game would be rescheduled for a later date.
The NHL was also forced to postpone Saturday’s match between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas. The league said it is working to re-schedule the four games postponed in Dallas this week. ~Justin Carissimo